The Bradleys were good neighbors and a good couple.
They never argued with anyone. They were gentle, compassionate, and had jobs others envied.
Frankly, having neighbors like them in the Lower Hive was like living next door to nobles on the surface.
The old man said the Bradleys had disappeared after their child was born. He had watched them buy baby supplies and sew clothes, preparing for the birth. But afterward, they had asked him to watch their house for a while, then hurried away with the baby in their arms.
"I watched them run off with the baby wrapped in cloth. They never looked back. I didn't know it was the last time I'd see them, but when days went by and they still hadn't returned... You know, the Treasure Layer isn't like up above. Leave a house empty too long and squatters move in, so I boarded up the doors and windows..."
The old man sighed, seemingly lost in memories of the past.
"All this time, they've never come back. Have you... have you seen them?"
Annan shook his head. "We're looking for the Bradleys too."
The old man glanced at the Rat People girl crouching by his leg. He seemed about to speak, then stopped.
Annan had the Earth Elemental open the long-sealed door. Under the glow of the Light Spell, a jumble of footprints came into view, some fresh and some old, scattered across the dust...
"There are plenty of thieves on the surface too, right?" the old man said awkwardly.
There was little to see inside. The room was small, and thieves had carried off everything valuable. How they had slipped into a sealed house was anyone's guess.
Annan thought detective films would never work in this world, especially locked-room mysteries.
All that remained were